PeterM

 My recent experience of getting a pre-sprayed rear wing from CC is that it won't match.  If the restorer doesn't work (which it should) I would recommend a respray at a local spray shop that can match the fade and blend the wing to the rest of the car. 

It is possible that the tester is being over zealous in my opinion ​- agree this.

Take it to another test station (like Southampton where I did mine) as the relationship between Gillingham and Caterham is probably getting a bit edgy by now - as in familiarity breeds contempt!

As I understand it a tethered fuel cap - lockable or not - is a requirement on all vehicles. Even my motorhome, which had an advisory 4 years ago and would now have failed if I hadn't done something.

Blue, I waved from my White 160 which at last has 'touched tarmac' in 2018  

I fixed mine with spots of Cyanoacrylate glue (basically Superglue) but I got it from Hafixs Industrial Products (www.hafixs.co.uk). It comes in a 20g, handy dispenser, is really effective and has a long, usable shelf life if kept in a fridge.   

I recently replaced a rear wing with not dissimilar damage. Had it sprayed by CC Ltd in original colour code before delivery but it was a terrible match and a waste of money. Took it to a local, and very good spray shop with the nose cone to get a match - it was still not good enough. Took it again with the old wing and finally got a satisfactory match - and a heavier wing!. To cap it all they said I should have asked them to repair the GRP and they would have blended-in the colour. Lesson learnt as they say!  I would seek a repair before buying new.  

A bit 'dumbed-down' and it lost a heap of kudos for me when it says the front anti roll bar is made of 'springy stuff'!  

Hi John. Could be, and I did wonder about this as the welds are so poor that the OEM might consider the top and bottom plates are merely holding the fan in place and therefore did not require and weld right across the header. The bobbins on a 160  are quite long (are all 7's the same in this respect??) and the hoses have a long reach coming into and away from the rad so there is some flex there as the rad heats up. 

Adding to the general debate on Caterham radiators; I have just replaced mine after only 30 months and 7,550 miles. Symptom; slight 'weep' from a top core tube-end where it meets the left hand header (as you look at the car). Possible cause; weld failure, one at each end of the top and bottom strengthening plates allowing movement of the core in relation to the headers when heated thereby stressing the resin sealant. Radiators are aluminum, made by Be Cool Radiators at Wellingborough and weld quality looks poor. 

Happy to report however that CC Ltd 'came good' (as they have always done for me) and replaced the radiator although it was well past the 12 month warranty. Weld quality looks better on the replacement.   

​Upper Strengthening Plate Weld Failure. Similar on bottom plate but diagonally opposite

I used Southampton 2.5 years ago. I got bad vibes from a local motorsport garage before going but found them OK in the end but the local garage was able to tell me thier favourite hates. Whilst my car was on the ramp and the inspector 'went for coffee' they even allowed me to fit some pipe clamps to the charcoal box that 160's have to take fuel when the inertia switch operates - fitted by CC with no clamps, but the Inspector was not having it. You only get one chance to make a first impression so a trick I used was to find out the names of the Inspectors and greet them like long lost buddies in the first instance. 

I had to use the dreaded collapsible steering wheel and when ask if I was going to change it directly after the IVA I  was primed to say No!

MAF Sensor 160 owners may recall an earlier post by me on the 'Calling C160 Owners' post; I had an ECU amber warning light come on back in May. The symptoms are a cough and splutter but the car keeps going and seems to run OK once stopped and restarted, which works every time but the light stays on. In the end it came on 4 times through the year and was twice diagnosed by a standard plug in computer as a discrepancy between the throttle pedal potentiometer and the throttle body position on the 'fly by wire' system; once by an AA man and then as a quick cancel job in a local garage.

The 4th time the engine died on me (luckily going slow, close to home, with a successful restart) so I thought I had better get it properly sorted. A visit to a Suzuki main dealer was not much help other than they said they have not had probs below 100k miles. A query into Caterham elicited an admission that they had to change a couple of throttle bodies on early 160's. I expected a similar diagnosis from a full and deeper diag session by a qualified auto electrician, so was surprised when it showed that the Mass Air Flow device (gizmo on front of the air filter body) was reading low. I have no idea why the MAF suddenly started to read low; it could be heat related (it always seemed to happen after/during a long hot run) or (more likely) dirt on the hot wire measuring element - which, according to whiz kid mechanics on U Tube, can be cleaned with a special cleaner. I am assuming that the throttle diagnosis was a 1st level effect rather than cause, with the ECU adjusting the throttle body to maintain the right mixture according to the MAF output, and when it got too far out of kilter it set off the alarm.

I have now fitted a new MAF sensor (£119 from CC online but is a Renault part) and I can tell that the engine is running smoother and acceleration is sharper. I will let you all know what the longer term brings. Meanwhile, there might be mileage in giving yours a clean over the winter.   

Great to hear Simon.

Another snippet for your chances in next year's sprint championships. I was at Crawley today to pick up a Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor (another story coming to this new 160 'techie post' shortly!) and asked why the Super Sport is advertised at 95bhp when I thought the engine was the same as the 160 (at 80bhp). The answer was; apparently the SS engine has a revised waste gate mechanism and a new MAF, both of which may be offered as an 160 upgrade package at some future date. Add a LSD that the SS also has and you could be really 'cooking'. 

Go over them slowly at 45degs, I have a lowered floor and it usually works for me. 

At Sainsburys, Fareham, refuelling, Sat 15th about 1130. Nice, looked 'just out of the box'. 

I had the amber come on on my 160. AA man with diag computer sorted it in 20mins. 160 is 'fly by wire' and it turned out to be dirty connections in the throttle body potentiometer; which he sprayed with contact cleaner and it's been OK since. Not sure what the cause was but there seemed to be a lubricant in there and I reckon the heat may have thinned it so much it ran onto the connections.  

I'm with you re the chippings Pete; no other reason for it I can see. So B2141 (one of my favourite blating roads) ruin for a few weeks. Supercar Sunday was v busy, did you see the Shmee the Blogger arrive in a McLaren whilst his 'workforce' were driving 3 other of his £250k motors all with the same number plate letters but different years! 

Cheers Ian @ #4; just ordered some. The 'gunk' approach has never appealed and a recommend by a fellow 7-er is worth its weight in gold 

I have sent some scans from 'The Magnificent 7' book by Chris Rees re your 3rd query. Incidentally the book is a real mine of info on the 7 and should be on your Chrissie list.   

Reddish colour; maybe P29 ???, about 0905 today. I flashed to warn you of a mobile speed trap about half a mile down the road past the lights.......................the one that got me in early August....*&!?**&)  

Best bit of advice above; have 'Derek of Dartford' on speed dial. And fear not, he is unlikely to let you down once it becomes clear what bits are really missing.

Other advice if taking it through IVA yourself (it's all part of the fun!):  visit your local motorsport garage and find out what the IVA inspectors' 'pet hates' are, have a box of rubber lined P clips, plenty of shrink wrap tape and tie wraps to hand, and use them as you go along - it impresses. If Caterham are doing it, be ready to write a large cheque!     

I put my 160 through IVA last year at Southampton and had to borrow a steering wheel and top column assembly with a collapsible boss from Caterham. They fitted it a Post Build Check. After IVA I changed back to the normal fit and posted it back to them. At IVA I was asked for an assurance that the wheel/boss assembly would not be changed out after the test and (with a straight face!) convinced them it wouldn't. 

Kawasaki Green - was that you Grubbster? Seriously considered taking mine out, then thought of the salt dust in all those knooks and crannies where ally meets steel!

Sun 25th, Green, R177, yellow shocker springs. Last blat of the year perhaps. 

Bright green it was - glad to have caught you out and about! 

GD53 (I think), Green, going South heading home from work no doubt, Friday 5th, 1530ish. I'm guilty as charged - in my 'tin top' on a lovely sunny afternoon!